This invention relates to novel multiple gas discharge display/memory panels or units which have an electrical memory and which are capable of producing a visual display or representation of data such as numerals, letters, television display, radar displays, binary words, etc.
Multiple gas discharge display and/or memory panels of one particular type with which the present invention is concerned are characterized by an ionizable gaseous medium, usually a mixture of at least two gases at an appropriate gas pressure, in a thin gas chamber or space between a pair of opposed dielectric charge storage members which are backed by conductor (electrode) members, the conductor members backing each dielectric member typically being transversely oriented to define a plurality of discrete gas discharge units or cells.
In some prior art panels the discharge units are additionally defined by surrounding on confining physical structure such as by cells or apertures in perforated glass plates and the like so as to be physically isolated relative to other units. In either case, with or without the confining physical structure, charges (electrons, ions) produced upon ionization of the elemental gas volume of a selected discharge unit, when proper alternating operating potentials are applied to selected conductors thereof, are collected upon the surfaces of the dielectric at specifically defined locations and constitute an electrical field opposing the electrical field which created them so as to terminate the discharge for the remainder of the half cycle and aid in the initiation of a discharge on a succeeding opposite half cycle of applied voltage, such charges as are stored constituting an electrical memory.
Thus, the dielectric layers prevent the passage of substantial conductive current from the conductor members to the gaseous medium and also serve as collecting surfaces for ionized gaseous medium charges (electrons, ions) during the alternate half cycles of the A.C. operating potentials, such charges collecting first on one elemental or discrete dielectric surface area and then on an opposing elemental or discrete dielectric surface area on alternate half cycles to constitute an electrical memory.
An example of a panel structure containing non-physically isolated or open discharge units is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,499,167 issued to Theodore C.Baker, et al.
An example of a panel contaning physically isolated units is disclosed in the article by D. L. Bitzer and H. G. Slottow entitled "The Plasma Display Panel -- A Digitally Addressable Display With Inherent Memory," Proceeding of the Fall Joint Computer Conference, IEEE, San Francisco, Calif., November 1966, pages 541-547. Also reference is made of U.S. Pat. No. 3,559,190.
In the construction of the panel, a continuous volume of ionizable gas is confined between a pair of dielectric surfaces backed by conductor arrays forming matrix elements. The cross conductor arrays may be orthogonaly related (but any other configuration of conductor arrays may be used) to define a plurality of opposed pairs of charge storage areas on the surfaces of the dielectric bounding or confining the gas. Thus, for a conductor matrix having H rows and C columns the number of elemental discharge units will be the product H .times. C and the number of elemental or discrete areas will be twice the number of such elemental discharge units.
In addition, the panel may comprise a so-called monolithic structure in which the conductor arrays are created on a single substrate and wherein two or more arrays are separated from each other and from the gaseous medium by at least one insulating member. In such a device the gas discharge takes place not between two opposing electrodes, but between two contiguous or adjacent electrodes on the same substrate; the gas being confined between the substrate and an outer retaining wall.
It is also feasible to have a gas discharge device wherein some of the conductive or electrode members are in direct contact with the gaseous medium and the remaining electrode members are appropriately insulated from such gas, i.e., at least one insulated electrode.
In addition to the matrix configuration, the conductor arrays may be shaped otherwise. Accordingly, while the preferred conductor arrangement is of the crossed grid type as discussed herein, it is likewise apparent that where a maximal variety of two dimensional display patterns is not necessary, as were specific standardized visual shapes (e.g., numerals, letters, words, etc.) are to be formed and image resolution is not critical, the conductors may be shaped accordingly, i.e., a segmented display.
The gas is one which produces visible light or invisible radiation which stimulates a phosphor (if visual display is an objective) and a copious supply of charges (ions and electrons) during discharge.
In prior art, a wide variety of gases and gas mixtures have been utilized as the gaseous medium in a gas discharge device. Typical of such gases include CO; CO.sub.2 ; halogens, nitrogen; NH.sub.3 ; oxygen; water vapor; hydrogen; hydrocarbons; P.sub.2 O.sub.5 ; boron fluoride; acid fumes TiCl.sub.4 ; Group VIII gases; air; H.sub.2 O.sub.2 ; vapors of sodium, mercury, thallium, cadmium, rubidium, and cesium; carbon disulfide; laughing gas; H.sub.2 S; deoxygenated air; phosphorus vapors; C.sub.2 H.sub.2 ; CH.sub.4 ; naphthalene vapor; anthracene; freon; ethyl alcohol; methylene bromide; heavy hydrogen; electron attaching gases; sulfur hexafluoride; tritium; radioactive gases; and the rare or inert gases.
In one preferred practice hereof, the gas mixture comprises at least one rare gas, more preferably at least two rare gases, selected from neon, argon, xenon, krypton and radon. Beneficial amounts of mercury and/or helium may also be present.
In an open cell Baker, et al., type panel, the gas pressure and the electric field are sufficient to laterally confine charges generated on discharge within elemental or discrete dielectric areas within the perimeter of such areas, especially in a panel containing non-isolated units.
As described in the Baker, et al., patent, the space between the dielectric surfaces occupied by the gas is such as to permit photons generated on discharge in a selected discrete or elemental volume of gas to pass freely through the gas space and strike surface areas of dielectric remote from the selected discrete volumes, such remote, photon struck dielectric surface area thereby emitting electrons so as to condition at least one elemental volume other than the elemental volume in which the photons originated. To condition an elemental volume is to provide at least one free electron theren.
With respect to the memory function of a given discharge panel, the allowable distance or spacing between the dielectric surfaces depends, inter alia, on the frequency of the alternating current supply, the distance typically being greater for lower frequencies.
While the prior art does disclose gaseous discharge devices having externally positioned electrodes for initiating a gaseous discharge, sometimes called "electrodeless discharge," such prior art devices utilized frequencies and spacings or discharge volumes and operating pressures such that although discharges are initiated in the gaseous medium, such discharges are ineffective or not utilized for charge generation and storage at higher frequencies; although charge storage may be realized at lower frequencies, such charge storage has not been utilized in a display/memory device in the manner of the Bitzer-Slottow or Baker, et al. invention.
The term "memory margin" is defined herein as ##EQU1## where V.sub.f is the half amplitude of the smallest sustaining voltage signal which results in a discharge every half cycle, but at which the cell is not bi-stable and V.sub.E is the half amplitude of the minimum applied voltage sufficient to sustain discharges once initiated.
It will be understood that the basic electrical phenomenon utilized in this invention is the generation of charges (ions and electrons) alternately storable at pairs of opposed or facing discrete points or areas on a pair of dielectric surfaces backed by conductors connected to a source of operating potential. Such stored charges result in an electrical field opposing the field produced by the applied potential that created them and hence operate to terminate ionization in the elemental gas volume between opposed or facing discrete points or areas of dielectric surface. The term "sustain a discharge" means producing a sequence of momentary discharges, one discharge for each half cycle of applied alternating sustaining voltage, once the elemental gas volume has been fired, to maintain alternate storing of charges at pairs of opposed discrete areas on the dielectric surfaces.